The pope asked an aide to read his speech for him at his weekly audience in the Vatican on Wednesday, with the 86-year-old "not well" enough, Paralel.Az reports citing SkyNews.

Pope Francis, who on Tuesday canceled a three-day trip for COP28 in Dubai scheduled for the weekend, coughed near the end of the hour-long audience with the public as he made some final comments.

He then stood up from his chair in the Vatican's auditorium to give his blessing, and with a voice barely above a whisper he said "since I am not well" his reading would not sound "pretty".

The Vatican says his condition has improved, but noted he had the flu and "inflammation of the respiratory airways".